This is our digital scrapbook for the year. Hey - it's faster than using scissors and pretty papers - and it actually gets done.

Saturday, June 06, 2015

Last Week of School

Sister was kind enough to let Bella practice again – how she loves it! Playing…

Sometimes you just gotta surprise them with a treat – Five Guys for lunch! (I love them because they have Cherry Coke!)

Therapy – Brother is doing so well. I hear all the time how methodical and analytic he is. We can’t take credit for those traits, but it’s so fun watching his little mind work!

Monday was Joy’s actual birthday. She took cupcakes to school. They gave her a “surprise party” in the other special ed teacher’s class. They made her a special card. She got a card from her grandparents and an Amazon gift card from her other grandparents. And then we did the best thing ever – we gave her a bunk bed (and cow pies)! She was thrilled! She is a big girl now! Happy birthday again baby, I mean, big girl!!

Have I mentioned how much this boy loves water? Swimming is in our future!

All dressed up for the 8th Grade Dance!

Team Alex – these are Alex’s sweet teachers (and me – why was I in this picture?) They have done so much for my sweet boy! I love them all! Alex gave them all pedicures for their end of the school year gifts. Thankfully, Brother gets to go to summer school! I love VIPS!

I have been doing a lot of subbing at VIPS and got a couple of teacher gifts too. That was fun and so kind!

While Sammi was at an appointment, Brother and I went exploring. He really does so well with movement and exploring his environment. Louisville really is beautiful!

Sammi had her last day of school as well. She wrote this about it on Facebook:

This year was long and hard. My anxiety was really bad. I got on meds but they weren't the right ones, so I went on a roller coaster of new meds and new dosages all the while still in school. It got to a point where I couldn't handle the stress of school any more, so I started Home/Hospital Instruction.( home bound). Today I am doing well. We think we found the right med combination and I finished my last meeting with my HHI teacher. Thank you to all my teachers and doctors, and thank you to my amazing family for being so patient and supportive with me

I, for one, am proud of how hard Sammi worked to figure things out and not to give up! I am also grateful for her sweet teacher, Ms. Teresa. Thank you!

Lizzy’s half book recital. Her teacher suggested we do it outside since it was such a beautiful day. Her face is something to watch – she is concentrating!

So proud of her and how hard she is working to improve in the viola. Her goal is to go to the Music Performance High School here. So she has to work really hard and get really good grades. YPAS (the music magnet) is associated with Manual (a very hard HS to get into). I’m proud that she has such lofty goals and works so hard to attain them.

We also picked up her new viola. We bought her one. A beautiful 15 inch instrument.

6th Grade Awards - Proud of Lizzy and how hard she has worked this year. Not only did she transition to Middle School, but to a new state, new school district, all honors classes, and a new way of doing things with nothing lower than a 92. Proud of your hard work baby girl!

With school winding down, the harp got to come home. How we all love listening to Jessi practice!

Awards came home with the girls

Last Day of School! Jessi had to dress up for Graduation and Lizzy got to dress down. At least there were no uniforms!

Over to therapy - Racing down the slide and then practicing an artic card – Joy’s fav!

The last day of school was also teacher’s birthday, so we brought in cupcakes!

Then Joy and Bella gave their teachers their end of the year gifts – hour long massages. If ever there were women that desired it…..

8th Grade Graduation – Yeah! Middle School is done! On to High School!! Jessi’s teacher gave her this book and encouraged her to apply to ivy league colleges. Grateful for teachers who believe in my babies!

Out to lunch at Panera afterwards. We ran into another adoptive family. They have 8 – 4 bio and 4 adopted. So fun to talk to people who “get” you!

Brother feel asleep with his hand on Bubba’s – I thought it was so cute!

Good-bye to the best bus drivers in the world! How I hope we have them again next year!!

Joy and Bella’s teacher sent home all of this stuff for us to work on over the summer. I was so touched. I could see how much love and effort she had poured into my girls all year. We have been truly blessed with such a wonderful teacher for them!

A family from VIPS was selling their old Honda, so we bought it! We figured it’ll be the perfect kid car. It has about a million miles on it, but it has been very well taken care of. The price was great, so we got it! Excited that once Sammi has her license, we won’t have to do the seminary run anymore. From now(when Sam gets her license) until Lizzy graduates, we should have someone driving. Wahoo!

Afterwards, we hit El Nopal’s for some fajitas because buying a car made me hungry!

Every day I get asked the same question – “Where's Gecca?” So she and Gecca send each other pictures. While it’s exhausting to have the same conversation every day, I am grateful they love each other!

T-ball Game!

Playing around outside

Instead of having a traditional end of the year party, Joy and Bella’s teacher had a party at All About Kids on Saturday. The whole family was invited! We all had a blast!

Coming down the slide…and yes, that is Bella sitting on her teacher’s lap!